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Author Notes: The secrets to releasing pork belly's magic don't require any special machinery or a food handler's certificate -- they're techniques you already know, or can learn on the fly. You won't be able to whip this up on a whim, but there's not much expected of you, other than patience. Adapted slightly from Bon Appetit. - Genius Recipes

Serves 6

Pork Belly

3pounds pork belly, skin removed, fat intact

2tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

2tablespoons sugar

2tablespoons kosher salt

2teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2-inch rings

1 cup dry white wine

Gingery Rhubarb Compote

1cup packed light brown sugar

1/2cup golden raisins

1/2cup red wine vinegar

1/4cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1tablespoon drained capers

1pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1pinch freshly ground black pepper

1pound rhubarb, trimmed, sliced 1/2-inch thick

Using a sharp knife, score pork belly fat in a crosshatch pattern at about 3/4-inch intervals, taking care not to cut into meat.

Mix thyme, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub thyme mixture on both sides of pork. Place pork in a large resealable plastic bag, seal bag, and chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 250°. Arrange onion in bottom of a large heavy pot with a lid. Rinse pork and place fat side up on top of onion; add wine.

Cover pot; place in oven and braise pork, basting occasionally, until fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Increase oven temperature to 400°. Uncover pot and cook until meat is very tender and fat is crisp and golden brown, about 1 hour longer. If the onions are starting to get dark before the pork, add a bit more wine.

This was truly excellent, and one of the easiest braises I've ever made. The compote is delicious with it. No, it doesn't come out with crisp-looking components like the photo (in real life, it looks more like jam), but if you use the swirl technique, and keep the spoon out of it once the rhubarb goes in, you'll have a more refined finished product.

A+ on the pork belly itself. easy method: i will definitely keep this recipe and do this again. it really didn't need much else to flavor it - even a small dab of dijon would have worked with it.B on the compote - maybe i didn't get it quite right, but the flavors didn't seem as balanced as i wanted them to be. also, my rhubarb broke down really quickly - didn't come out as nice as the photo. so, it might be my bad...